Department for Transport

Department for Transport: EU Law

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which regulations his Department introduced as a result of EU legislation in (a) 2013, (b) 2014 and (c) 2015 to date; which regulations his Department expects to implement as a result of EU legislation in (i) 2016 and (ii) 2017; and what estimate he has made of the cost of such regulation to the (A) public purse and (B) private sector.

Mr Robert Goodwill: I refer the Hon Member to the answer given by my Hon Friend, the Minister of State for Business and Enterprise, the Hon Member for Broxtowe (Anna Soubry) on 11 November, UIN 15037 (http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&max=20&questiontype=AllQuestions&house=commons%2clords&uin=15037).

Roads: Accidents

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many deaths occurred on rural roads in 2014 to 2015.

Andrew Jones: In 2014, 1,063 people were killed in reported personal injury road accidents on rural roads in Great Britain. This compares to an annual average of 1,702 people killed in reported personal injury road accidents on rural roads in Great Britain over 2005-2009.Rural roads are roads outside settlements with a population of 10 thousand or more, excluding motorways.Data for 2015 will be available in June 2016.

Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the recent legal decision on the Quality Contract for NEXUS; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Jones: It is for the North East Combined Authority to decide how to take on board the results of the QCS Board process. Guidance on how to approach this element of the quality contract regime was published by the Secretary of State in December 2009.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Communities and Local Government: EU Law

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which regulations his Department introduced as a result of EU legislation in (a) 2013, (b) 2014 and (c) 2015 to date; which regulations his Department expects to implement as a result of EU legislation in (i) 2016 and (ii) 2017; and what estimate he has made of the cost of each such regulation to the (A) public purse and (B) private sector.

Brandon Lewis: I refer the hon. Member to the response provided by my rt. hon. Friend, the Minister for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise (Anna Soubry) on 11 November 2015, PQ 15037.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Israel: Housing

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received about the threatened demolition of the village of Khan Al Ahmer in the West Bank and the effects of Israeli settlement activity in the vicinity.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: An official from our Consulate-General in Jerusalem visited the village of Khan Al Ahmer on 9 September and held discussions with community leaders. I also visited the village last year. We remain deeply concerned by Israeli proposals to relocate Bedouin population from the E1 area. Officials at our Consulate-General in Jerusalem are monitoring the situation closely and will continue to demonstrate our concern by regularly visiting the Bedouin communities.The UK’s position on settlements is clear. They are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace and take us further away from a two state solution. We will continue to raise our objections to settlements with the Israeli Government. On 10 September, during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the UK, the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary raised with him our concerns about Israel’s approach to a number of issues, including settlement building and the need for a two state solution.

Western Sahara: Human Rights

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will (a) discuss with the Moroccan ambassador to the UK and (b) instruct the British Ambassador in Rabat to investigate reports of intimidation, harassment and kidnapping of human rights defenders in the Occupied Territories of Western Sahara coinciding with the visit of King Mohamed VI.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: I discussed Western Sahara on my recent visit to Morocco on 11 November.We continue to monitor the human rights situation in Western Sahara and raise any concerns with the Moroccan Government.

Syria: Politics and Government

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to address the political dimensions of the situation in Syria.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) participated in US-led talks in Vienna on 30 October. We hope that this meeting is the start of an international process, alongside talks between the Syrian parties, which will lead to transition away from Assad in line with the Geneva communiqué of 2012. Despite the clear differences between the meeting participants, progress was made in a number of areas, most importantly that diplomatic efforts to end the war must accelerate and that the UN will be asked to launch a new political process between the Syrian parties. The UK is also a staunch supporter of the Syrian National Coalition of Opposition and Revolutionary Forces, and we will continue to work with them in pursuit of a political solution to the conflict. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) and I met the President of the civilian opposition National Coalition, Khaled Khoja, in London 4 November. We discussed the political process and the importance of the National Coalition continuing its important work to reach out to other moderate political and armed groups in Syria in order to develop a common platform for engaging in negotiations.

Syria: Refugees

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to meet the UK's international obligations to refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria, other than by supporting countries in that region.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Prime Minister’s consistent focus has been on providing a comprehensive solution to the refugee crisis. He has reiterated the need for the EU to deal with the root causes of the crisis, not just respond to the consequences. The UK has committed more than £1.1 bn – the largest ever UK response to a humanitarian crisis. This goes to those in need inside Syria and the region. The Prime Minister announced on 8 September that the UK would resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees over the next five years. This will build on an existing scheme for Syrians designed to support refugees based on their vulnerability. The UK has provided financial assistance (£3.6 million/€5 million per year for two years) to fund a project aimed at protecting the most vulnerable people in the migrant camps in Calais. We continue to provide practical support to frontline Member States (particularly Greece), including to support them in securing the EU external border. The Department for International Development announced a £5 million package to the Start Network, a group of humanitarian organisations, to provide emergency relief supplies for refugees and migrants in Greece, Serbia and Macedonia. Overall funding to the Europe wide response, which is not allocated to specific countries is £6,050,000. Of this £550,000 is allocated to International Federation of Red Cross and £500,000 to the Civil Protection Mechanism.

Syria: Armed Conflict

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he plans to take to use the UK's position on the UN Security Council to help facilitate diplomatic negotiations on protecting civilians in Syria.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Protection of civilians in Syria, as well as those who have been forced to flee the country, is a priority for the UK. In the Security Council we have co-sponsored a number of humanitarian resolutions that call for an end to indiscriminate attacks on civilians, including the use of barrel bombs, starvation as a method of warfare and obstructing the flow of humanitarian aid. Specifically, the UK played a key role in negotiating Resolution 2191, which has allowed the UN and its partners to deliver aid across Syria’s borders to people who were previously denied access, including food for 2.1 million people and medical supplies for 2.5 million people. The UK is the second largest bilateral contributor of humanitarian funding, providing over £1.1 billion to those most in need in Syria and neighbouring countries – our largest ever response to a crisis. The long term protection of civilians requires an end to the conflict in Syria and a political settlement based upon the principles of the Geneva Communiqué. We will continue to pursue this objective with vigour, including through the new political process which began in Vienna on 30 October.

Syria: Politics and Government

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans he has to assist the Syrian people in putting in place stable political and diplomatic foundations on which to rebuild that country once the conflict there has ended.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We hope that the 30 October Vienna meeting is the start of an international process, alongside talks between the Syrian parties, which will lead to transition away from Assad in line with the Geneva communiqué of 2012. The UK Government is closely engaged in this process and is working with Syrian opposition and civil society groups to ensure they are adequately represented in the process, and to help them prepare for a political transition in Syria.

Syria: Islamic State

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how the Government plans to develop a more comprehensive strategy to combat ISIL that prioritises protecting civilians in Syria.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The UK has a long-term, comprehensive strategy to degrade and defeat ISIL. We are working to protect UK citizens, both domestically and overseas, from the threat posed by ISIL, and playing a leading role in the 65-member Global Coalition that is tackling ISIL on the ground. That international effort includes military action against ISIL in its heartlands in Iraq and Syria, cutting off its finances, tackling foreign fighter flows, stabilising areas which have been liberated from ISIL, and countering its poisonous ideology through strategic communications.Unlike the Assad regime and its allies, who are bombing indiscriminately, Coalition military efforts in both Iraq and Syria are specifically designed to minimise civilian casualties. UK strike aircraft (which are currently operating only in Iraq) are equipped with advanced targeting systems and precision weapons to target ISIL by day or night whilst minimising civilian casualties.In addition to our efforts as part of the Global Coalition, the UK is directly helping protect Syrians on the ground. We are training Search and Rescue teams and supporting local Moderate Opposition structures to deliver governance, infrastructure, health services, education and livelihoods services. We also give more humanitarian aid to Syria than any other bilateral donor except the US.Ultimately, the only way to protect civilians in Syria is by achieving the mutually reinforcing objectives of defeating ISIL and ending the Syrian conflict. The latter can only be achieved through a political transition away from the Assad regime, whose brutality created and continues to fuel the conflict, and has led to ISIL’s expansion.

Syria: Peace Negotiations

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what conclusions he wants the Vienna talks on the Syria crisis to reach.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We hope that the 30 October Vienna meeting is the start of an international process, alongside talks between the Syrian parties, which will lead to transition away from Assad in line with the Geneva communiqué of 2012.

Israel: Ethnic Groups

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the outcome was of his Department's visit to Um-il-Hiran and Ateer; whether he plans to visit that region; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and our Embassy in Tel Aviv visited three Bedouin communities in the Negev, including Um al Hiran, on 5 August. This visit, arranged through the Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality (NCF), deepened our understanding of the constant risk of demolition faced by both recognised and unrecognised Bedouin villages; the restrictions on construction in even Government-planned Bedouin towns; and the unequal provision of services to communities of different ethnicities in the Negev. We remain concerned about this situation and will continue to work with partner countries, to address the inequalities.

Dogs: Meat

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to reduce the international dog meat trade.

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions the Department has had with its counterparts in countries where trading dog meat is legal about that trade.

Mr Hugo Swire: We are committed to raising standards of animal welfare in the UK and abroad. While there are no international norms, laws or agreements governing the trade and consumption of dog meat, we believe it is necessary to work with governments to gain agreement on animal welfare standards and to stop cruel and inhumane farming practices. As the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (Mr Duddridge), outlined in the House of Commons on 5 November, we raise our concerns with those countries where the trade in dog meat is legal and work alongside them to improve animal welfare. I am writing to our Ambassadors in relevant countries to review what appropriate action may be taken on this issue. The British Government will also consider a review of our engagement with relevant international organisations regarding health and welfare issues in the dog meat trade.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Sahaviriya Steel Industries UK: Redcar

Anna Turley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the number of people who have accessed the Government support package for people affected by the closure of the SSI steelworks in Redcar.

Anna Soubry: There are a number of different elements of support for people affected by the closure of the SSI steelworks in Redcar. These include:Redundancy-related payments paid by the Redundancy Payments Service. 1988 payments are currently being or have been processed and the majority of payments made to individuals.A Jobs Fair, which was attended by over 1800 peopleA Jobcentre Plus helpline, which has dealt with around 4000 callsA support Hub, which has provided a wide range of advice and guidance to over 2000 individualsThe Government will not impose solutions from Whitehall and will continue to work closely with the local taskforce to deliver the proposals it has identified as having a real and lasting impact. This includes:- a £1.7m support fund to enable SSI’s 50 apprentices complete their training- a £16.5m Jobs and Skills Fund to help local firms employ former SSI workers or their spouses in full-time or part-time jobs for a minimum of three years- £16m support for firms in the SSI supply chain and wider Tees Valley impacted by the Redcar steelworks closure, to safeguard jobs, provide the stimulus to create new posts and provide expert assistance to help them expand their business

Royal Mail

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 12 October 2015 to Question 11315, whether local authorities (a) retain intellectual property rights over the postal addresses they have helped to create and (b) benefit financially from those rights from Royal Mail.

Nick Boles: Local Authorities have the responsibility for creating the official street naming and numbering under the Towns Improvement Clauses Act 1847 and Public Health Act 1925. Royal Mail has the responsibility under its Universal Service obligations to create the postal address for each home and business in the UK. In creating the postal address Royal Mail utilises the official street name and number where appropriate and adds a number of additional address elements, including the postcode, which forms the basis of the Royal Mail distribution network. Royal Mail also pays Local Authorities £1 per new address that it receives from local authorities. Royal Mail compiles the list of postal addresses in to the Postcode Address File (PAF).The intellectual property rights over the data contained in the PAF, which occurs once the data is in the PAF format, belongs to Royal Mail as owners and maintainers of the PAF.In 2015, the public sector licence agreement was introduced which gives Local Authorities, Central Government, Emergency Services and Health, free access to the PAF.

Further Education: Teachers

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2015 to Question 13325, how many bursaries his Department offered people to become mathematics teachers in the further education sector in each year from 2010-11 to 2014-15; and how many such bursaries he estimates his Department will offer in 2015-16.

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2015 to Question 13325, how many mathematics enhancement programmes his Department offered people in the further education sector  in each year from 2010-11 to 2014-15; and how many such programmes he estimates his Department will offer in 2015-16.

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect of his Department's policies of providing bursaries and mathematics enhancement programmes to teaching staff in the further education sector on the total number of mathematics teachers in that sector; and on what evidential basis he made the decision to offer bursaries and mathematics enhancement programmes to teaching staff in the further education sector.

Nick Boles: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) began offering bursaries to graduates to train to teach maths in the academic year 2013/14. 61 and 136 people took up such bursaries in 2013/14 and 2014/15, respectively. It is estimated that 167 maths bursaries will be taken up in 2015/16.The maths enhancement is a joint BIS/Department for Education supported programme and commenced in the academic year 2013/14. During 2013/14 and 2014/15 over 2,450 existing further education teachers participated in the maths programmes. During 2015/16 we are continuing to support access to a pipeline programme to enhance the maths skills of existing teachers. This is being delivered by the Education and Training Foundation. We have not made an estimate of the number of programmes that will be taken up in 2015/16.Emerging findings from the evaluation of the further education (FE) workforce programmes have shown a positive impact on the confidence and effectiveness of FE teachers delivering maths either as a core subject or in vocational context. The evidential basis for intervention in maths teaching was based on the clear need to raise the Maths attainment rates of students in further education; and improve the quality of Maths teaching as identified by Ofsted inspection reports.

Students: Loans

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what (a) discussions he has had and (b) consultations he has undertaken with sector stakeholders on potential changes to earning repayment thresholds for 24+ Advanced Learner Loans.

Nick Boles: The consultation Freezing the student loan repayment threshold covered both higher education student loans and 24+ Advanced Learning Loans. Stakeholders with an interest in 24+ Advanced Learning Loans were notified of the consultation when it was published.

Innovate UK

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of Innovate UK's effectiveness in securing (a) jobs and (b) growth for UK businesses.

Joseph Johnson: Innovate UK has supported more than 5000 individual companies since it was established in 2007. It publishes an Annual Report which details its activities during the year and any reviews undertaken of individual programmes. A copy of Innovate UK’s latest Annual Report is in the library of the House and can also be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/446302/FINAL_-_Innovate_UK_Accounts_2014-15_.pdf.

Sahaviriya Steel Industries UK: Redcar

Anna Turley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether monitoring activity was put in place by his Department to oversee the financial viability of SSI in Redcar.

Anna Soubry: It is up to companies to run their own financial affairs and to submit annual returns and accounts. My Department was aware of the serious financial difficulties facing SSI UK prior to its closure and made every effort within the bounds of the law to provide assistance where we could, including ensuring workers could be paid their monthly salaries.

Sahaviriya Steel Industries UK: Redcar

Anna Turley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps (a) he and (b) his Department made to secure a buyer for Redcar coke ovens and blast furnace before the Official Receiver called for a hard closure.

Anna Soubry: Commercial decisions on the purchase of assets are the prerogative of the companies involved and government has no powers to oblige companies to purchase assets.On liquidation of a company, it is the responsibility of the liquidator to sell the free assets of the company. In the case of SSI UK, this was the Official Receiver.I am informed that the Official Receiver did maintain operations at SSI, including the coke ovens, for a period while he tried to find purchasers for the assets of SSI UK but as of the 12 October, no purchaser had been found and the Official Receiver ceased operations of the coke ovens and blast furnace.

Sahaviriya Steel Industries UK: Redcar

Anna Turley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what information his Department holds on how many bids were received by the Official Receiver to buy or operate any element of the former SSI site in Redcar prior to the Receiver's decision on hard closure.

Anna Soubry: My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State does not hold information regarding the number of bids received by the Official Receiver in respect to the former SSI site. The Official Receiver holds this information in his statutory role as an independent liquidator appointed by the Court. The Official Receiver received a number of expressions of interest in various assets of the company but none were translated into viable offers for the coke ovens or blast furnace ahead of his decisions to close them on 12 October 2015. The Official Receiver can be contacted at the address below: Ken Beasley, Official Receiver, Public Interest Unit, 2nd Floor, 3 Piccadilly Place, London Road, Manchester, M1 3BN.

Open University

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what representations he has received on the Open University's plans to close regional centres across England.

Joseph Johnson: The Open University is an autonomous institution and it is for them to make decisions about how best to structure their workforce and meet the needs of their students.

Sahaviriya Steel Industries UK: Redcar

Anna Turley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what correspondence his Department has had with PwC regarding SSI Redcar in the last three years; and how many meetings his Department has had with PwC in that period.

Anna Soubry: My officials had a number of telephone calls and one meeting with PwC between 28 August 2015 and 1 October 2015 to discuss SSI.

MAHLE Engine Systems UK: Kilmarnock

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the assistance that could best be offered to help prevent the loss of highly-skilled manufacturing jobs at MAHLE in Kilmarnock.

Anna Soubry: This is disappointing news for the MAHLE workforce and their families. Economic development is devolved to the Scottish Government and as such I am not in a position to comment on their response to this announcement. This Government stands ready to work with the Scottish Government if needed but I note that they are already working with the company over how they might tailor their PACE support programme (their equivalent to our Rapid Response Service) to help those facing redundancy.

Postgraduate Education

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what progress his Department has made on introducing loans for postgraduate study.

Joseph Johnson: A consultation on support for postgraduate study was launched in March of this year. The consultation sought views on the Government’s intention to introduce a new loan scheme for taught Master’s study and a review of how to broaden and strengthen support for postgraduate research. Consultation responses have been analysed and the Department is preparing its response.

Wales Office

Wales Office: EU Law

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, which regulations his Department introduced as a result of EU legislation in (a) 2013, (b) 2014 and (c) 2015 to date; which regulations his Department expects to implement as a result of EU legislation in (i) 2016 and (ii) 2017; and what estimate he has made of the cost of such regulation to the (A) public purse and (B) private sector.

Stephen Crabb: I refer the hon Member to the answer given by my Rt. Hon friend the Minister for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise (Anna Soubry) on 11 November 2015.

Ministry of Justice

Secure Training Centres: Contracts

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the annual cost per place of (a) MTCnovo's contract to run Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre and (b) G4S Care and Justice Services contract to run Medway Secure Training Centre.

Andrew Selous: Secure Training Centres (STCs) play an important role in helping young people to reform and turn their lives around. They typically cater for younger offenders with multiple or complex needs, and therefore have smaller units and higher staff ratios than some other youth establishments.The estimated average annual cost per place over the 5 year contract period at Rainsbrook STC is £136k and at Medway STC it is £138k. These figures are based on the bid price, uplifted in line with forecasted inflation.

Courts: Workington

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the proportion of people living in Copeland Borough who will be able to travel to (a) a magistrates' court and (b) a family court by public transport in under 60 minutes if the proposed closure of West Cumbria Court goes ahead.

Mike Penning: No decision on the future of courts in West Cumbria will be made until every response to the current consultation has been carefully considered. Access to justice is not just about proximity to a court. To ensure that access to justice is maintained, we are committed to providing alternative ways for users to access our services, including the use of other civic buildings.As the consultation states, the utilisation of West Cumbria Magistrates’ Court and County Court during 2014/15 was low at approximately 42% of its capacity. West Cumbria also has a worse standard of facilities for court users than other courts in the region.Population from Copeland Borough that can get to court by public transport in less than 60 minutes.Before closureAfter closurea) Magistrates’ court28%9%b) Family court28%9%These figures are estimates based on the share of the population of Copeland Borough who are able to travel to the nearest alternative court of the same jurisdiction. Estimates of travel times are based on 2014 data from the Department of Transport journey planner database.

Prison Service: Staff

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what financial checks are carried out on prison officers and civilian staff in prisons after their initial employment period.

Andrew Selous: After their initial employment period, NOMS staff are subject to additional financial checks when their vetting is due to expire and they require a renewal of national security clearance at either SC or DV level.Separately all staff are expected to declare changes in their circumstances, which includes changes in their financial circumstances. Occasionally where there are underlying security concerns identified further checks may be undertaken.

Ministry of Justice: EU Law

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which regulations his Department introduced as a result of EU legislation in (a) 2013, (b) 2014 and (c) 2015 to date; which regulations his Department expects to implement as a result of EU legislation in (i) 2016 and (ii) 2017; and what estimate he has made of the cost of each such regulation to the (A) public purse and (B) private sector.

Dominic Raab: The following lists set out the Justice Regulations introduced in 2013, 2014 and 2015 as a result of EU legislation. Copies of each instrument are available in the House libraries and on legislation.gov.uk, including an Explanatory Memorandum which provides analysis and discussion of the expected impacts on public and private sectors.It is an important that we participate only in those justice laws that are in the national interest and we continue to press for a focus on implementation rather than the introduction of new legislation.2013:• S.I. 2013/485: The Criminal Legal Aid (Remuneration) Regulations 2013• S.I. 2013/ 2971: The Special Measures for Child Witnesses (Sexual Offences) Regulations 2013• S.I. 2013/1605: The European Communities (Lawyer's Practice and Services of Lawyers) (Amendment) Regulations• S.I. 2013/2526: Costs in Criminal Cases (General) (Amendment) Regulations 20132014:• S.I. 2014/3300: The Criminal Justice (European Protection Order) (England and Wales) Regulations 2014• S.I. 2014/3298: The Civil Jurisdiction and Judgments (Protection Measures) Regulations 2014• S.I. 2014/2947: The Civil Jurisdiction and Judgments (Amendment) Regulations 2014• S.I. 2014/3141: The Criminal Justice and Data Protection (Protocol No. 36) Regulations 2014 (made jointly with the Home Office)• S.I. 2014/3191: The Criminal Justice and Data Protection (Protocol No. 36) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 (made jointly with the Home Office)2015:• S.I. 2015/1644: The Civil Jurisdiction and Judgments (Hague Convention on Choice of Court Agreements 2005) Regulations 2015With regard to 2016 and 2017, any implementing legislation will be brought forward as needed, including an analysis of impacts in line with usual practice.

Ministry of Defence

Syria: Refugees

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, in what conditions the 114 Syrian refugees are being held at RAF Dhekelia in Cyprus; and if he will undertake to ensure that these conditions are inspected as to their appropriateness.

Penny Mordaunt: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 10 November 2015.The correct answer should have been:

The temporary accommodationtransit facility at Dhekelia Station in Cyprus where the migrants are being held provides access to three meals a day, shelter with heaters, duvets and blankets, privacy and communications as well as facilities for religious worship. The electrical supply is being upgraded to provide heaters for when the weather turns colder.Medical care is being provided if needed. The Ministry of Defence was advised by the Department for International Development (DFID) when designing and constructing the facility, and DFID continue to provide support and advice on the ground. It has been visited by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees representative in Cyprus, who has said that the conditions of the facility exceeds the standard of comparable set-ups.

Penny Mordaunt: The temporary accommodationtransit facility at Dhekelia Station in Cyprus where the migrants are being held provides access to three meals a day, shelter with heaters, duvets and blankets, privacy and communications as well as facilities for religious worship. The electrical supply is being upgraded to provide heaters for when the weather turns colder.Medical care is being provided if needed. The Ministry of Defence was advised by the Department for International Development (DFID) when designing and constructing the facility, and DFID continue to provide support and advice on the ground. It has been visited by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees representative in Cyprus, who has said that the conditions of the facility exceeds the standard of comparable set-ups.

Department for Work and Pensions

State Retirement Pensions

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that people eligible to join the Class 3A voluntary contribution scheme are made aware of it.

Justin Tomlinson: A nationwide communications campaign, called ‘State Pension top up’, has been in place since 2014 to raise awareness of the Class 3A voluntary contribution scheme both before and after its launch on 12 October 2015. This campaign has included the creation of dedicated webpages on GOV.UK, including a calculator tool which has been used over 82,000 times since scheme launch. Printed and digital leaflets have been produced alongside advertising both online, and through national and regional press.For over a year prior to launch, individuals were able to register by phone or email for scheme updates.The scheme has also achieved widespread coverage, particularly around its launch, in the national and specialist press read by the scheme’s target audience. DWP has worked directly with financial advisory bodies and key pensions industry experts to raise awareness of the scheme.DWP officials have attended conferences around the country with IFAs to explain the scheme and Ministers have written articles and conducted interviews on national, regional and international broadcast channels.As of 8 November 2015, the scheme had attracted 3460 applications.

State Retirement Pensions

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have signed up to the Class 3A Voluntary National Insurance Contribution Scheme in (a) England, (b) the North West and (c) Pendle constituency.

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the proportion of people eligible for the Class 3A Voluntary National Insurance Contribution Scheme that have signed up to that scheme.

Justin Tomlinson: We do not hold application data for the State Pension top up (Class 3A) at a regional or constituency level. To obtain this would incur a disproportionate cost. Across the UK we have received 3193 applications for State Pension top up (Class 3A) in the scheme’s first 3 weeks.Up to c. 12m individuals are eligible for the scheme depending upon personal circumstances. In the first 3 weeks of operation there were 3193 applications for State Pension top up (Class 3A).

Department for Work and Pensions: EU Law

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which regulations his Department introduced as a result of EU legislation in (a) 2013, (b) 2014 and (c) 2015 to date; which regulations his Department expects to implement as a result of EU legislation in (i) 2016 and (ii) 2017; and what estimate he has made of the cost of such regulation to the (A) public purse and (B) private sector.

Priti Patel: All regulations implementing EU legislation that have been introduced since 2013 and their associated impacts can be found on www.legislation.gov.uk. The impact of future regulations that implement EU legislation will also be available on this site in due course.

Universal Credit

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of people currently claiming legacy benefits he expects to have transferred to universal credit by the end of the current Parliament.

Priti Patel: It is not possible to predict whether or not people currently claiming benefits will claim Universal Credit in the next five years. The numbers of claimants in receipt of Universal Credit at any given point will vary according to a number of factors, such as the economic climate and developments in Government policy. Even if this data was published, such forecasts may change over time.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: EU Law

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which regulations her Department introduced as a result of EU legislation in (a) 2013, (b) 2014 and (c) 2015 to date; which regulations her Department expects to implement as a result of EU legislation in (i) 2016 and (ii) 2017; and what estimate she has made of the cost of each such regulation to the (A) public purse and (B) private sector.

George Eustice: I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given by my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Minister for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise, Miss Anna Soubry, on 11 November 2015, PQ 15037.

Members: Correspondence

Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she intends to answer the letter of the hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, dated 29 June, on Mr I Boddison.

Rory Stewart: A reply was sent to the Hon. Member on 29 July 2015. A duplicate has also been issued.

Home Office

Refugees: Syria

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will ensure that at least 1,000 Syrian children are brought to settle in the UK before Christmas 2015.

Richard Harrington: Scaling up the system in a way that protects the interests of all concerned, including local communities, will take a little bit of time. It will take several months to reach full capacity. However, on 19 October, I set out our intention to welcome 1,000 Syrian refugees (adults and children) before Christmas. This is the ambition that the Home Office are working towards and we will report on it after Christmas.We are not expecting the refugees arriving in the first months of the scheme to include unaccompanied children.

Community Engagement Forum

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who has been appointed to the Community Engagement Forum; what criteria were used to make those appointments; and if she will make a statement.

Karen Bradley: Holding answer received on 03 November 2015



Individuals are not appointed to the Community Engagement Forum. Attendance at the meetings will rotate to allow ministers to hear directly from a wide range of individuals and groups taking a leading role in challenging extremism as well as sharing thier expertise and initiatives on building stronger community relationships.

Refugees: Syria

Stuart McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Syrian refugees from each UN camp she expects to be resettled in the UK in 2015.

Richard Harrington: Holding answer received on 10 November 2015



The Prime Minister has said that we want to see 1,000 Syrian refugees brought to the UK by Christmas. The Government is working closely with local authorities, international delivery partners and the voluntary sector, putting in place the plans and structures to deliver this and ensuring the system is scaled up in a way that protects the interests of all concerned. Details on numbers will be published in the regular quarterly immigration statistics.The UNHCR identifies and proposes Syrian refugees for the VPR scheme from among the whole of the registered refugee population in the region, over 4 million people. This includes people in formal refugee camps, informal settlements and host communities. Therefore, not all of those coming to the UK for resettlement will be coming from UN camps.

HM Treasury

Child Benefit: Immigrants

Frank Field: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of migrants residing in the UK who claim benefits on behalf of children living abroad by country of residence of the child.

Damian Hinds: I refer the hon Member to the answer that I gave to the hon member for East Ham (Stephen Timms) on 16 June 2015:http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2015-06-10/2064/

Marginal Tax Rates

Edward Miliband: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of families who will have marginal deduction rates over (a) 50, (b) 60, (c) 70, (d) 80 and (e) 90 per cent in 2015-16; and what his projections of those figures are for each year to 2020-21.

Damian Hinds: We are unable to provide this analysis to a sufficiently robust standard.The government will simplify the process of applying for and receiving benefits by moving welfare claimants to the Universal Credit (UC) system. UC will get rid of the worst aspects of the legacy system by replacing six working-age benefits with one, improving incentives for people to work and to work more.

Department for Energy and Climate Change

Forests: Sustainable Development

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps she is taking to support the sustainable management of forests outside the UK.

Andrea Leadsom: Protecting forests delivers substantial climate, development, biodiversity and ecosystem outcomes. Stopping deforestation offers the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on a globally significant scale, while protecting the vital services, such as regulating rainfall patterns, on which the world economy depends for agricultural productivity and sustainable economic growth.Addressing deforestation and supporting the sustainable management of forests is a priority for the UK’s £3.87 billion International Climate Fund (ICF), and the Prime Minister announced in September that this will rise to £5.8bn over the next Spending review period. To date, over £700m has been programmed, including initiatives that: incentivise action to reduce deforestation and forest degradation; support forest management, governance and market reforms; curb illegal and unsustainable use of forest resources; and promote investments in sustainable forestry, agriculture and land management.The UK also plays an active leadership role in international fora, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Convention on Biodiversity, and the United Nations Forum on Forests. Last year, we played a key role in the negotiation of the New York Declaration on Forests, which set ambitious targets for halving (by 2020) and halting (by 2030) the loss of natural forests, eliminating deforestation from the production of key agricultural commodities by 2020, and accelerating restoration efforts.

Fracking: Iron and Steel

Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if she will take steps to promote the use of British welded steel instead of imported seamless steel in the shale gas exploration industry.

Andrea Leadsom: The Government would like to see UK steel companies take advantage of the commercial opportunities that a shale hydrocarbon exploration and production industry will bring. However, the decision over the use of welded steel tubes will predominantly depend on the design and specification of the well and the geology. Government officials will continue to engage with the steel industry over this large potential opportunity and will encourage it to continue its dialogue with the onshore oil and gas industry.

Climate Change: Overseas Aid

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps her Department is taking to support poor communities overseas to tackle the effects of climate change.

Andrea Leadsom: Climate change is one of the most serious threats we face, not just to the environment, but to our economic prosperity, poverty eradication and global security, hitting developing countries the hardest. The Government is committed to combatting the effects of climate change, and supporting the world’s poorest to become more resilient to the effects of a changing climate and to take the clean energy path to growth and prosperity.The Government has committed to substantially increase the amount of funding we are providing through the International Climate Fund (ICF) to help the most vulnerable countries protect themselves from the effects of climate change. The UK’s money for climate activities will be increased by at least 50%, to a further £5.8 billion of funding from April 2016 to March 2021, including £1.76bn in 2020, from within the existing ODA budget.Whilst the details of how this new funding will be allocated are still being decided, our support so far has already reached many people and communities, and the UK government stands by our aim to spend 50% of the ICF on adaptation. The ICF to date has helped 15 million adapt, and given 2.6 million people improved access to clean energy. For example, through my Department’s support for the GET FiT programme in Uganda we are helping to create reliable sources of clean energy to support households, businesses and communities which in turn improves the communities’ health and education, and enables businesses to grow. Our investment in the ICF demonstrates Britain’s role in combating climate change and in creating a safer and more prosperous future for us all.

Solar Power

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of changes to support for the solar power sector on the market share of the global solar industry that will be held by UK firms by 2020.

Andrea Leadsom: Our current estimates, assuming we incorporate proposed cost control measures under both the RO and FIT schemes, are that solar PV capacity in the UK could be approximately 9.6GW by 2020. How that stacks up as a market share globally will depend on many variables in markets around the world.

Solar Power

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate her Department has made of the likely market size of the UK solar industry in 2016.

Andrea Leadsom: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him today to Question 14997.

Cabinet Office

Cabinet Office: EU Law

Philip Davies: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which regulations his Office introduced as a result of EU legislation in (a) 2013, (b) 2014 and (c) 2015 to date; which regulations his Office expects to implement as a result of EU legislation in (i) 2016 and (ii) 2017; and what estimate he has made of the cost of each such regulation to the (A) public purse and (B) private sector.

Matthew Hancock: No regulations were introduced by the Cabinet Office as a result of EU legislation in 2013 and 2014.So far in 2015 the Cabinet Office has introduced the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 which have estimated net annual savings of £3.6 Billion. No further regulations arising from EU legislation are planned for introduction in 2015.Looking ahead to 2016 two regulations are expected to be implemented by the Cabinet Office as a result of EU legislation. These are the Utilities Contract Regulations and Concessions Contract Regulations.Details of all the estimated costs to the Public Purse and Private Sector are provided in the table below:YearTitle of RegulationCost to Business Cost to Public Purse2013None2014None2015Public Contracts Regulations 2015£3.6Billion saving2016Utilities Contract Regulations£0.14M£0.09MConcessions Contract Regulations£0.3M£0.852017None

Cabinet Office: Families

Kate Green: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many of his Department's policies have been assessed against the family test; what steps he has taken to publish the outcome of such assessments that have been carried out; and if he will make a statement.

Kate Green: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to implement the family test.

Matthew Hancock: The Family Test was announced by the Prime Minister in August 2014 and introduced in October 2014. Department for Work and Pensions published guidance for Departments and officials on how the test should be applied when formulating policy and my Department follows that guidance available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/368894/family-test-guidance.pdfThe Family Test is an integral part of the policy making process and is applied in a proportionate way in the development of all new policy in line with the Family Test guidance. While the guidance states that departments should consider publishing assessments carried out under the Test, there is no requirement to do so.

Women and Equalities

Government Equalities Office: EU Law

Philip Davies: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, which regulations the Government Equalities Office introduced as a result of EU legislation in (a) 2013, (b) 2014 and (c) 2015 to date; which regulations her Office expects to implement as a result of EU legislation in (i) 2016 and (ii) 2017; and what estimate she has made of the cost of such regulation to the (A) public purse and (B) private sector.

Caroline Dinenage: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to Parliamentary Question 15037 on 11 November 2015.